There Are 10 Times More Mentally Ill People Behind Bars Than in State Hospitals

Putting the mentally ill in jails instead of hospitals isn’t saving the government any money. … The average stay for an inmate at Rikers is 42 days. Mentally ill inmates get stuck there for an average of 215 days.

The stigma of mental illness isn’t helping anyone. It costs us more, it puts us in danger and it creates really dangerous conditions for people who need help.